Automatic railway alarm-signal.



No. 649,482. Patented May l5, I900. A. J. ROSE, Decd.

I. EVANS, Administratrix.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY ALARM SIGNAL.

(Application filed June 10, 1897.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR JJA J 6051:

l VW/V W.

WITNESSES turn Saree t me.

PATENT nsn I. ROSE, or GRAYLING, MICHIGAN; IDA EVANS ADIvuNIs'r-tATinXor SAID ASA J. ROSE, DECEASED.

AUTOMATIC-RAILWAY ALARM-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,482, dated May15,1900.

Serial No. 640,216. (No model.)

To all whom it iit'cty concern.-

Be it known that I, ASA J. ROsE,of Grayling, in the county of Crawfordand State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Railway Alann- Signals; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to an automatic railway alarm-signal adapted tobe operated by the Wheels of a car and comprising an arm lying adjacentto one of the track-rails and attached to one end of a shaft havingsignaloperating devices in connection with the opposite end.

The invention further consists of the details of construction,arrangement, and combination of the several parts, which will be morefully hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the present invention is to apply a signal-operatingmechanism in connection with a railway-track to communicate to theengineer, train crew, or other persons that it is desirable to have thetrain moving thereoverstopped, and thereby supplement and take the placeof the ordinary track-torpedoes and other analogous devices now commonlyemployed.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of aportion of a railwaytrack, showing the signal-operating mechanismapplied in connection therewith and as being operated by a car-truck.Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the operating-arm and a portionof the shaft connected thereto.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar numerals of reference areemployed to indicate the corresponding parts in the views, the numeral 1designates a shaft of suitable length mounted in bearings 2, situatedadjacent to one side of the track-rails 3. The inner end of the shafthas a vertically-disposed arm 4 in connection therewith with a hammer 5on the upper terminating portion thereof, which engages a gong 6,adjacently supported on a post 7. The said arm, as shown,

is continuous with the shaft 1 and reduced 1n thickness at its upperportion to provide a spring action or yielding movement of the hammer 5.To the lower part of the said arm is secured one end of a spring 8, theop posite end of said spring being attached to a 7 convenient supportand tending to throw the arm toward the gong 6. As a resistance to theretractile effort of the spring 8 a looped keeper 9 embraces the saidarm, said keeper consisting, preferably, of two legs 10 of roundmaterial continued into a slightly-inclined 6o loop 11 and providing anopening therethrough for a purpose which will be presently set forth.

On the end of the shaft 1, and as more clearly shown in Fig. 2, is anoperating-arm 12, having an upwardly-projecting reduced end 13, lyingclose against one of the rails and at a sufficient distance above thesame to be struck by the successive wheels of the trucks on an engineand cars following the same, the said projecting end 13 being thickenedor reinforced to prevent wear thereon and breakage through a suddenimpact with the wheels. The end of the shaft 1 is bent upwardly at thispoint, as at 14, and to the upper end thereof the said arm is pivotallysecured by a pivot-bolt 15. To one side of the body of the arm is freeto pass the angularly-bent end of the shaft bearing thereagainst topermit the arm through its projecting end 13 to turn down and notoperate the shaft and the gong 6. This permits the cars movingbackwardly to pass over the projecting end 13 without operating thesignal, as stated. The front edge of the body portion of the arm has anangularly-bent lip 16, which bears against the adjacent angularly-bentend of the shaft 1, and when the projection is struck by the wheels of atruck moving forwardly over the track the said lip impinges closelyagainst the adjacent angularly-bent end of the shaft and throws the sameand the arm 4- forwardly in order to cause the said arm to strike thegong 6 and give the desired signal. To normally sustain the projectingend of the arm in vertical position against the side of the rail, aspring 17 is connected to the lip 16 and to an adjacent support.

At the rear end of the shaft a suitable device is located for engagingthe arm 4 and turning the shaft, together with the arm 12, out ofoperative position, and it consists of an upwardly-extending arm 18,having an angularly-bent end to bear against the arm 4 continuously froma horizontal member movably mounted in connection with a suitablesupport and its opposite end arranged as an opperating -handle 19. Thisdevice may be termed a switch mechanism and could be readily extendedinto and operated from an office or station.

It will be seen that the gong will continue to ring as long as thetrucks move over the track-rails and strike the projecting end of thearm 12, and the said. gong will be large enough to be easily heard bythe engineer, trainmen, or persons within the cars, and form the meansof giving a signal to stop a train to take on passengers, receiveorders, or for other purposes.

The device as set forth dispenses with the use of signal flags andlights or semaphores, and it is obviously apparent that many minorchanges could be made in the arrangement as well as in the constructionof the several devices without departing from the scope of theinvention. In placing the device in operative position the severalmechanisms will be covered or hidden and molestation thereof ortampering therewith be prevented. In the movement of the arm 4 backthrough the keeper 9 it will be guided in its movement by said keeper,and when it is returned to its normal position through the action of thesprings 8 and 17 the hammer 5 will be in proper position to operate thegong 6. Furthermore,the several parts are of such a nature that theywill not be affected by frost or the aggregation thereon of frozenparticles and when positioned for use Will always insure an accurateoperation.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In anautomatic alarm-signal, the combination of a shaft, an arm movablymounted on the outer end thereof having an inturned lip, and anupwardly-projecting reduced portion lying adjacent to a track-rail, aspring connected to the lip of said arm, an inner arm integral with theshaft carrying a striking device, a gong or signal situated for contactwith said striking device, and a spring connected to the inner arm,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In an automatic alarm-signal of the class set forth, the combinationof a shaft, an arm movably mounted on the outer end thereof, a springattached to said arm to hold in a normal position a striker-arm on theinner end of said'shaft, a gong or signal situated adjacent to saidstriker-arm, a spring attached to said latter arm, and a switch forhearing against the said inner arm and lowering it and the outer arm outof operative position, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In an alarm-signal of the character set forth, the combination of ashaft with an outer upturned end and continuous at its inner end withthe striking-arm, an arm movably attached to the outer end of said shaftand having an upper reduced portion lying close to and projecting abovean adjacent track-rail, said latter arm also having a lip bearingagainst the adjacent end of the shaft, a spring attached to said lip tonormally hold the outer arm in operative position, a spring attached tothe arm on the inner end of the shaft, a gong situated adjacent to theinner arm of the shaft, and means for throwing the several parts out ofoperation, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ASA J. ROSE. Witnesses:

JOHN F. HUM, JOHN J. COVENTRY.

